The Problem with Fire
by Satyrykal
Summary: She pulled his head down, digging her fingers into his hair. "I can't do this alone," she whispered, her lips brushing against his. She could feel his heart racing through his chest. His eyes scorched her, holding her gaze. "You won't have to." Though the war is over, misfortune lies waiting in the ashes. Will they stop the spread or watch their world burn? RoseXScorpius. Rated T.
1. Prologue: The Sorting

**Hello readers,**

**This is the first story I have published in a long time. If I get some interest in the story I will continue. This is a prologue, and the other chapters will skip ahead in the future. This is rated high T, and I reserve the right to post alternate chapters/scenes for certain portions to reflect a more suitable rating independent from this story. A list of ages and houses for characters can be found on my profile. Thank you for reading, please leave me a comment with your thoughts.**

**-_Satyrykal_**

**_*All HP references copyrighted by JKR. Original story is mine*_**

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The old wooden doors creaked open, laughter bubbling from the crack of light beyond. Wiping her sweaty hands against the folds of her skirt, the young girl looked nervously about the group around her. Eighty young faces were staring at the entrance, and Rose briefly wondered who amongst them would be in her house, which ever one that might be. Next to her, her cousin Albus was messing up his hair and muttering under his breath. She touched his arm, startling him, to give a reassuring smile. His green eyes met her blue ones and he gave a shaky breath, nodding.

A few moments later, a tall man came through the doors and smiled down at them. Rose beamed at him; Neville Longbottom had a way of putting your mind at ease.

"Right this way!" He beckoned them forward.

Turning on his heel, he threw open the doors and the sound amplified. The students scrambled and followed him in a close knit group. Trying not to trip on her robes, she gaped as the Great Hall came into full view. The floating candles, enchanted ceiling, the house hourglasses! It was everything her family had said and more. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw assorted members of the Weasley clan. Victoire and Uncle Percy's daughters were sitting on the long table second from the left, draped in their blues. The Scamander twins waved happily from the Hufflepuff's table on the far right, while a sea of red-heads grinned between them.

She and Albus were amongst the youngest of their cousins, and it would be the only year all of them would be at school together. Excepting Hugo and Lily of course, but they had a few years yet. Professor Longbottom stopped in front of the raised dais as the children followed suit. Distracted, she stumbled into the boy in front of her, and mumbled a hurried apology. He turned to look at her, and recognition flashed in his gray eyes. Running his fingers through his straight blond hair, he shrugged before turning his attention to a worn hat resting on a stool before them. Albus was glaring at him from his place by her elbow, but she nudged him as the hat began to stir. Then, it began to sing. She had been warned, and by the looks of it, so had half her fellow first years, but it was spine tingling the same.

"_...There is a home for all of you,_

_Don't doubt where you should go,_

_you can't yet understand your fate,_

_I'll put you where you'll grow._

_Now it's time to take a chance,_

_There's more to find you see,_

_swimming in that head of yours,_

_Don't worry! Place your faith in me."_

It would have been comical, if it hadn't been the scariest moment of her life. What if she was placed in the wrong house? She had cousins in Ravenclaw as well as Gryffindor, and Teddy Lupin himself was a Hufflepuff. As long as she wasn't a Slytherin, things couldn't be all that bad. At least she tried to tell herself that as she chewed her lip. Rose Weasley shifted from foot to foot as the first names were called, it would be a long wait.

"William Boots!" The young boy had a mass of brown curls and enough freckles that his cheeks were noticeably darker than the rest of his pale skin. After a few moments, he was placed in Ravenclaw. The next few went in a flurry.

"Emily Corner!"

"Malory Finnigan!"

"Valemina Goyle!"

"Jacob Lochkey!"

"Scorpius Malfoy!"

Rose watch curiously as the boy she had bumped into walked forward. She chided herself for not recognizing him immediately, and envied the easy way he carried himself. As he gathered his robes and seated himself on the stool, she had a chance to examine his features more closely. She had only seen him briefly at Kingscross, and the Malfoys weren't exactly the type her parents kept in company otherwise. Scorpius had sharp features: high cheekbones and forehead, a straight nose and a pointed chin. His gray eyes were mildly slanted and framed by surprisingly long lashes. His light blond hair was messier too, free from the smooth combing it had when her father had pointed him out earlier that morning. All the while, the hat pondered its subject and Scorpius smirked at the room. It was a charming smile though, not "snooty" as Ron Weasley often described Malfoy senior during dinner conversations. Shortly after, he got up to join the Slytherin table.

A line of other students went up as well, two to Gryffindor and Hufflepuff each. Then shortly after her cousin's name was announced. Albus Severus Potter was white as a sheet as he shuffled his way up the dais. Clenching the edge of his seat, Rose noticed he was muttering silently to himself. The sorting took quite a bit longer than anyone else thus far. Albus' green eyes were wide as his gaze darted from one house table to the next. Seconds passed and still nothing. He was a hat stall. Then finally, his shoulders drooped ever so slightly, as if he had just lost an argument.

"Slytherin!"

The hat roared its decision and for a span of a few heartbeats, the Great Hall was silent. Then, as if awoken from a slumber, the table on the far left rose to its feet in applause, welcoming its newest member. As the Slytherins cheered, Albus made his way to his house, anxiously peering at the dumbfounded expressions of the extended Weasley and Potter clan. Then, Victoire, who sat closest to Albus in Ravenclaw, smiled and clapped politely, adding to the cheer. Soon after, the rest of the family joined in, even James, though it might have required a jab to his stomach from Louis first. No one seemed particularly happy, but it seemed to put her cousin more at ease regardless.

Recently at Hogwarts, there were multiple Weasleys that needed sorting, like in Dominique and Molly's year, or when Fred and Lucy started in 2015. This year, Rose was by herself. When her name was called, she built up her courage and waited patiently as Professor, she couldn't think of him as Uncle Neville anymore, placed the hat on her auburn locks.

"_It seems I can never get rid of you._

_In a few years you Weasleys will take over the whole school, bah!_

_Now let's take a look shall we?_

_I see an impressive head on your shoulders, and a fierce sense of loyalty._

_Patient and kind, you care about those around you._

_But what's this?_

_Under that shy facade, you've got as much nerve as your mother._

_Quite like her my dear, but different yet._

_Stubborn too, a daring sort of wit._

_There's only one house to match your fire"_

"Gryffindor!"

Quick as that, she was being ushered down to the table crowded with her cousins. They roared their approval, and each gave her a pat on the back. She got warm applause from family in the other houses too. Even Albus seemed to have overcome his mortification a bit by this time, as he gave her a mock salute.

The rest of the great feast was a blur. A magnificent feast of chicken, steak, roasted medleys and a wide array of deserts appeared magically in front of them after Headmistress Sprout gave her introductory speech. She wished them luck, warned them against breaking the rules, and suggested strolls along the Black Lake to view the excellent flora that embroidered its edges. As the celebration came to a close, she had made friends with a few girls in her year. They were quickly herded out of the hall by a Gryffindor prefect, unable to speak to anyone else before they left.

Dominique was the only one old enough to boss them around in her house, but Niqi was far more concerned with Quidditch than her studies, much to the dismay of mother, father, and elder sister. She had, however, been informed of a Weasley pow wow session later that week, as per decree of the aforementioned elder sister. Until then, she would just have to contend to the company of her peers and the occasional badgering of her male relatives in the common room.

Later that night, in Gryffindor tower, she got to know her roommates better. The girls dormitory was separated by age; the older students dominated the top floors. Then on each level, there were two rooms that accommodated five girls each. Rose boarded with Abigail Thomas, Eliza Stuart, Zahra Habibi, and Mallory Finnigan. Some of them she recognized as children of her parents' friends, Stuart was muggleborn, and Zahra was the soft spoken daughter of Egyptian curse breakers. She made a mental note to ask Uncle Bill about her over Christmas.

On the other side of the castle, down in the dungeons, Albus Potter was doing much the same thing. His own suite mates were less terrifying than he thought. A couple were shady characters, but his father's name carried enough weight that most liked him, and those who didn't watched their tongues. Perhaps in time, a few would become his friends, if not, he was sure he could convince Fred or James to light the Sorting Hat aflame.


	2. Chapter 1: Slytherins

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_***Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter belongs to JKR. The story is mine***_

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Walking down the corridor, the gaggle of Gryffindors chattered excitedly about the first week of classes. They had just left potions with Ravenclaw and were scurrying quickly to charms. Rose was explaining the moving portraits to Eliza Stuart once more, arguing over whether muggle technology had reached them.

"I've seen the digital pictures before Eliza, at my Gran's. That doesn't change the fact that they're repetitive loops and these portraits can actually interact with you."

"You make it sound like they're real. Honestly, you said so yourself, they're only half conscious." The muggleborn had brown hair tied in a neat plait.

"That isn't what I said, besides, try explaining that to the Fat Lady." Rose told her, laughing. Just then, they turned the corner and met with the Slytherin first years. Rosie and her friends stopped to let them pass, only to find Albus coming up behind them, obviously running late.

"How was Herbology?" She asked him as he smoothed his emerald lined robes.

"It was fine, kind of boring really if it wasn't Nev – Professor Longbottom joking around up there. He's actually the reason why I stayed back. He wanted to talk to me about the sorting." Albus frowned a little at that, pushing his messy black hair away from his eyes. She raised her brow.

"I thought you were fine with the Slytherins now. I mean, that Fisher seems nice enough. Are Goyle and Malfoy giving you trouble?

"Nah, Scorpius is fine. He keeps his distance but I didn't exactly think we'd be best mates anyway. That Valemina's a real harpy though. Caught her picking on Mei-Lien Croft, you remember her don't you? She's the half-blood?" He waited as Rose shook her head. "No, well Mum says her mother dated my dad when they were in Hogwarts."

The rest of their classmates moved past them, but they still had some time to get there as long as they didn't fall too far behind.

"So Nev –, I mean Profess –, you know what, I'm calling him Neville when we're alone. I told him how the hat had taken my dad's opinion into account when he was sorted into Gryffindor. I thought I had almost convinced it too, but it changed its mind in the last minute. Neville said that when he was sorted, he tried to get the hat to put him in Hufflepuff." Albus continued.

"But why? He led the rebellion at Hogwarts. My mum says he slayed Voldemort's snake with Gryffindor's own sword!" She exclaimed carelessly.

It was a wonderful thing really, to walk through the very halls he once haunted without worrying about using his name. A few years from that moment, Rose would introduce her cousin to Moaning Myrtle who was slinking around in first floor lavatory just a few metres away to their right. It wouldn't be until they met her that the Dark Lord, and the tale of their parents would become real for them. That's the year when everything would change, but let's not get ahead of the story.

"Neville said he didn't think he deserved to be in the same house as his parents, that he didn't live up to their name. Apparently his family was worried he was a squib before he got his letter. The sorting hat refused him... because well, he didn't know himself well enough to realize Gryffindor would help him most in the end." He hesitated and looked at his feet. Rose patted him on the shoulder.

"I've heard it's never wrong, so stop worrying about it. Both your parents congratulated you, you'll be fine in Slytherin." She told him. Albus grinned and mussed his hair.

"I know, besides we had _Merlin_ in our house." He bragged just as they made their way into the classroom.

"Yeah? Well we had Dumbledore."

Albus scurried to the rest of his house as they were taking their seats. Abigail Thomas had saved her a spot on the bleachers when they heard Valemina Goyle's shrill voice from the benches above them.

"Movie it half-blood." She sneered, pushing Mei-Lien's books across the desks. "Just because they let girls like you go here doesn't mean I've got to deal with it." The girls flanking her snickered. Rose was briefly reminded of what Al had told her earlier, harpy indeed. One with a pig nose at that.

"That's so racist!" Eliza hissed from beside her. Mallory shook her head.

"Not exactly. She's not complaining about her being Asian, its because she's not pure-blood like them. It's still a big deal for a lot of the older families." She explained.

"What's a pure-blood?" The girl asked, confused. Rose, Mal, Abagail and Zahra looked at each other.

"It's someone who comes from an all magical family. A half blood is someone who's got one pure-blood parent and another who's muggleborn or a muggle. There are, other words too –" Mallory began, but Rose shook her head. They didn't need to talk about mudbloods right then. It was strange to think this girl knew so little of this age old issue. Even if she hadn't though, Albus was beginning to make a scene.

"Come off it, she hasn't done anything to you" He yelled up at Goyle. The Slytherin boys were a few rows below them.

"What are you gonna do about it Potter? Run to your father and have him save the day? Poor Albus, maybe one of those Weasels can come to the rescue. You've certainly multiplied." She shot back. By this point, the whole room had turned their attention to them.

"Come down here and say that!" He spat, pulling out his wand.

"You'll fight a girl?" she taunted back.

"Wait, you're a girl?"

The room exploded in laughter. Valemina's face turned red as she pulled out her own wand. Rose got up, ready to intervene if necessary. With his luck, Albus would manage to get himself expelled.

"Shut up Val... I don't know what you're droning on about. Didn't your aunt run off with a muggle a few years back?" The voice came from two seats to the right of Albus. Scorpius Malfoy was spinning his quill in his fingers, a lazy smile on his face.

"That's, where did you –, we don't talk to her anymore!" The other girl's face was turning a brilliant shade of red, making a sharp contrast with her dark hair.

"Oh no? That's too bad. You really shouldn't give her such a hard time for it, your mother's a Bulstrode after all. My father says she's a half blood, or did she forget when she married into the Goyles?" He continued as she looked nervously at her housemates like a child caught with her hand in a cookie jar. Matilda Flint, one of her cronies, wrinkled her nose as if she smelled something bad.

"Don't know why you're so proud of the name anyways. Your dad's a complete idiot. Did you know he holds the record for failed classes at Hogwarts for any alumni? I think he couldn't read until he was in his fourth year." Scorpius was digging deeper as the students continued to giggle; Albus was grinning maniacally while Mei-Lien smiled. Valemina looked close to exploding when someone else entered the conversation.

"Forget it Val, class is starting soon." Muttered one of the others who had been silent thus far. She had brown hair and a pointed chin. Scorpius grinned at her and saluted, just as the door swung open. Professor Flitwick scurried into the room. That was the end of the conversation as everyone quickly settled in.

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Later that night, Albus was hanging his robes as he got ready for bed when Scorpius came in from the common room. Unlike Gryffindor tower, the Sytherin dungeon was on a single floor that expanded outward in separate girls and boys wings. Each had windows looking into the black lake. Albus shared his room with four other boys. Mortimer Fisher, Andrew Higgs, Frazier Pucey, and Scorpius Malfoy. Fisher's mother had been a Ravenclaw but the rest had been in Slytherin for generations. His other suite mates had yet to come in.

Swallowing his pride, Albus turned to the blond. "Hey Scorpius, thanks for the help today." The other boy looked up curiously, as if he was surprised to see him talking to him.

"Val is a mental case, her whole family is crazy. I've literally never met dumber people." He answered cautiously, as if waiting for a trap.

"Is her mum really a halfblood?"

"Yeah, my father talked about it once. He started getting worked up but let it go once he realized he was talking about Goyle. They make a perfect pair if you ask me, both of them have sticks shoved up their arses." He answered. Albus nodded, it would make sense that Malfoy knew her outside of school. There were few pureblood families left, and even if Valemina Goyle wasn't as pure as she thought, the legacy was there. In truth, the Malfoy family was probably one of the only non-muggle families around, and they had connections to the handful of remaining purebloods too.

"You know, you're not half as bad as I thought you'd be." Albus told him.

"What were you expecting?"

"Some spoiled rich kid, like Goyle actually."

"Yeah well, I was expecting a pompous Potter running around because his dad's famous."

They both laughed.

"I don't think of my father like that, he's just my dad. I'd rather people don't make a big deal of it actually, the last thing I need is to have to live up to his reputation, or anyone else in my family." He told Scorpius. Shrugging he sat down. The beds were ringed in a circle. Malfoy slept one over from him on the left.

"Yeah well, that's one of us. I'm actively trying to live down my father's reputation. At least yours is famous for a good reason. Mine was a Death Eater. Didn't help that I was put in this stupid house." He murmured glumly. Albus was shocked.

"Weren't your folks happy you got in? I thought mine were going to have a heart attack! I'm still not sure my brother's over it."

"Of course they were. There hasn't been a Malfoy outside of Slytherin in over a hundred years. Though my mum's family has had a handful of Ravenclaws. I was crossing my fingers I'd be put there actually."

"Yeah, I was trying to convince the hat to put me in Gryffindor but it ignored me."

"Won't lie, I was surprised to see you put here, most of us were. Maybe the hat was wrong."

"No. The hat puts you were you're supposed to go. If two houses are the same then the hat will listen to you, but if not, it'll put you were you belong. I already asked about it."

The two boys sat across from each other, chatting away idly. One had a shock of black hair while the other was nearly white blond. Their families had fought for a generation, but for the moment it didn't matter. They were just two kids who had no idea of what the future held for them.

"Have you ever heard of the Mirror of Erised?" Albus asked after a while. "My dad told me stories about it when I was younger. He found it in his first year, apparently it shows you your hearts desire."

"What, like playing in the World Cup?"

"Exactly, it would be brilliant if we found it. I think its in the Room of Requirement. Have you heard of it before?" Taking one look at his face, Albus regretted it. Draco Malfoy had used the room to smuggle the Death Eaters into Hogwarts in his sixth year. "I don't think we're allowed in there though." He finished hastily.

"Who cares if we're allowed in." Malfoy smirked. "Scared Potter?"

"You wish."


	3. Chapter 2: Midnight Stroll

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_*__**All HP reference are copyrighted by JKR. Original plot and characters are mine.***_

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Holding up a lantern, two figures dashed down the hallways as quietly as they could. Which, all things considered, was not all that quiet. Once their suite mates had gone to bed, they waited a few hours until Pucey's light snores began. Then as silently as they could muster, they climbed out of bed and crept out into the hall. It was nearly two in the morning. Later in the year, the common room would still have an occasional student pouring over an assignment, but the semester had yet to hit full swing.

They had pulled on clothes before they had gone to bed in order to ensure a contained exit. They searched the hall quickly before leaving the Slytherin dungeon. Taking a right, they were surprised by the eerie calm of the abandoned halls. They twisted through the passages, heading up the staircases. They were caught on the stairs twice as they were moving, and quickly found themselves lost. The castle was larger than it appeared. Albus found himself wishing he had his father's infamous map, but as far as he knew, it was locked in his study at home, and Harry still used his invisibility cloak on auror missions.

"Where exactly is it anyways?"

"I'm not really sure, it's supposed to be on the seventh floor right?" Albus muttered.

"Are you telling me we don't even know where it is?"

"If we knew where it was then we wouldn't have to go looking for it, would we?"

They continued along the passageways, bolting away from long shadows and ignoring the sleepy complaints of the portraits lining the walls. They had reached the sixth floor when they ran out of luck. Arguing yet again about which way they needed to go, they missed the measured tapping of approaching footsteps.

They had just passed by a window overlooking the courtyard when they saw a flash of silver ahead of them. The two boys screamed as the window brought a head of blonde hair into view. Tall, beautiful and extremely angry, Victoire Weasley glared down at the Slytherin boys. Family or no, Albus knew he was in trouble.

"Hello Victoire, fancy meeting you here." He told her, feigning a smile.

"It's quite late, aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Scorpius added flippantly. Albus stepped on his foot hard, willing him to stop.

Her black robes swirled as she moved closer. The moonlight now highlighting the badge on her chest. He vaguely remembered how proud Aunt Fleur had been when she got it that summer.

"I'm head girl Malfoy, and you'd do better holding your tongue." She narrowed her blue eyes and turned back to her cousin, one slender hand resting on her hip. "What in seven hells are you doing up here?"

"We got lost." The blond boy said quickly while his companion stared dumbly at his shoes. The middle Potter had always been an atrocious liar. Victoire steadily ignored him as she continued to look down at her cousin. She tapped him impatiently on the head with her wand.

"Where were you heading?"

"Back to our dorms, we couldn't remember the way back." He mumbled. Malfoy turned slightly to roll his eyes exasperatedly. The Weasley matriarch wasn't impressed. He sounded as sincere as he did that time he had stolen the chocolate she was using to bake Grammy's cake last fall.

"You were on the way back to your dorms? In the dungeons? And on the way you found yourselves on the sixth floor of Ravenclaw tower..." She asked skeptically.

"We have a lousy sense of direction?" he answered.

"Look I don't know why the two of you are out here but you're breaking school rules. If I catch you out again I'll turn you in. And Al? I'll make sure your parents hear too."

Not sure he was happy to get off easy, or mad about being threatened, Albus stayed quiet. Scorpius however, cheerfully thanked her with a mock bow, proving himself far more theatrical than anyone would guess. She waved him off, clearly uncomfortable by the presence of a Malfoy. Albus secretly believed she would be happier jinxing the Snake than forgiving him if her cousin wasn't there as well.

Massaging her forehead, she seemed to be considering something. Then abruptly, she beckoned them to follow her. They scurried out of the tower into the main castle corridors and up a level to the seventh floor. Little did they know, they passed the Room of Requirement as they walked. They entered the Hall of Hexes and into a side corridor before she stopped. They looked at her with confusion.

"Where are we?"

"This is the Poltergeist Passage, Peeves tends to hang around here but he's usually on the other side of the castle at this time of night." She explained.

"Ok..._why_ are we here?" This time Scorpius asked her.

"Do you see that tapestry over there? If you look behind it you'll find an undercover passage to the kitchens. It should be easy to get to the dungeons from there. This way you'll probably stay out of trouble and get to your room quietly."

Scorpius nodded seriously as he filed that information for later. Knowing the various hidden passages of Hogwarts were extremely useful. This particular route was part of common gossip, but most people didn't know how to access it. In contrast, Albus began grinning insanely.

"Did you say kitchens? Why would you need to know how to get down to the kitchens Victoire?" Potter asked her, smiling toothily. To Malfoy's surprise, the older girl's face turned a bright red.

"Get going before I write you up." she sniffed before turning on her heel and vanishing around the corner.

Tired, and afraid of getting caught a second time, they pushed past the tapestry and made their way down the corridor. The passage twisted and had random nooks of staircases leading to the lower levels of the castle. There were torches on the wall that lit the way. Living in the wizarding world, he was used to firelight but he missed the clean brightness of a bulb. It was well known however, that electricity did not work in Hogwarts because of the ancient spells that held the castle together. Halfway through, Scorpius' curiosity got the best of him.

"You're cousins with her right?"

"Yeah, she's my Uncle Bill's daughter. The oldest."

"Why did she turn red when you mentioned the kitchens?"

Albus laughed. "My brother James caught her snogging Teddy Lupin at King's Cross back in September. He's my dad's godson, and when he was in Hogwarts he was a Hufflepuff."

"That... explains absolutely nothing."

"Hufflepuff's common room entrance is next to the kitchens. You have to knock on a barrel to get in but if you get it wrong then vinegar pours on you or something. From what everyone else says those two were pretty close when he was at Hogwarts."

Albus finished his statement by making an exaggerated kissing face. At that the boys had a laugh. The older girl was not nearly as scary when they thought of her as a moon-eyed teenager. Given a few years, they'd realize exactly how terrifying love could really be.

"Did you know Lupin's a cousin of mine?" Scorpius asked as they continued down the passageway.

"Really?"

"Yeah, our grandmothers were sisters. Andromeda and Narcissa Black. I'm more related to him than you are."

Albus wrinkled his nose. He and his siblings were very protective of Teddy. Smiling, Scorpius continued talking.

"That means we're related too. On my dad's side and your mum's. The Weasleys are descendants of Phineas Nigellus Black, just like the Malfoys. Black's grandaughter Cedrella married Septimus Weasley who is, I believe your great-grandfather. Cedrella Black and my great-great grandfather Pollux Black were cousins. That would make us... fourth cousins once removed." He said proudly as they came out to the end. Albus shook his head in disbelief.

"Your lot is absolutely mental. Who spends all that time memorizing family trees?"

"I don't know. My mother taught me, she says it's important to know who's related to who."

"You mean who's from a pure-blood line or not."

As they walked down the hallways towards the Slytherin dorms, Scorpius shrugged noncommittally.

"My mum's not like that. I know our fathers have a lot of history but, I'm not Draco you know."

"Yeah, I guess you're not."

Passing the great fireplace in the common room, firelight flashed across the faces of two young boys, one with a shock of blonde hair and the other black. Of near equal height, they looked at each other and grinned; two unlikely friends making mischief well past midnight.


	4. Chapter 3: Confrontations

** Hello everyone! Thank you so much for the feedback so far. This is the second to last chapter of their first year before we fast forward. I hope you enjoy it,**** please please leave me a review**** with your thoughts!**

_***Anything Potter is JKR's, anything original is mine.***_

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Rose Weasley glanced in the mirror one last time, adjusting her cloak over her gray skirt and sweater. Her hair was in ponytails today, mildly frizzy. The auburn strands were wavy, caught between her mother's curls and her father's straighter mop. It was early in the evening and the other girls were freshening up themselves as she made her way down the stairs and into the common room. Other students were milling around but she was eager to get to the Great Hall for dinner. Marching purposefully out the the door, she was surprised when a hand grabbed her shoulder. Turning around, she saw a young man with a mass of golden curls on his head. His blue eyes were set in a handsome, friendly face. Looking up at the fourth year, Rose smiled.

"Hi Louis," she greeted her cousin. He grinned at her and fell beside her as she walked.

"Evening Rosie, I was hoping to catch you. How are classes going?"

Older girls passing them stole glances at them, failing to seem inconspicuous. It was a well known fact that Louis Weasley was one of the most attractive boys in school. She was pretty sure that he and both his older sisters had a long line of admirersout the door; that's what came of having a half Veela for a mother. Though admittedly, Dominique's fiery personality and competitive streak tended to waylay some of the hopefuls. She loved all of her cousins, but Uncle Bill's kids were all older than her. The Weasley clan tended to subdivide based on age groups, so she was surprised to see him.

"Pretty well, we've been getting loads of homework though. Professor Slughorn assigned us 20 inches on the importance of brewing preparation that's due in two weeks!" She said, waving her hands to emphasize how unfair she found the paper.

He laughed at that and ruffled her hair, much to her annoyance. "Just wait till you get further along, you'll be _wishing_ your assignments were that easy. Don't work too hard though, you'll start getting as bad as Molly."

Uncle Percy's eldest daughter, Molly, was a sixth year Ravenclaw who spent most of her time burrowed away with a book in hand. She had wonderful taste though. When Rose was younger, Molly would read the younger children stories of muggle kings and dashing heroes who saved the day. Her favorite was the tragedy of Rumpelstiltskin, a clever wizard who helps a girl spin gold to save her from the evil king. Unfortunately, the ungrateful girl ploted against him, forcing the wizard to flee in exile. She remembered when her mother, Hermione, first heard it. She seemed to think Rumpelstiltskin was the bad guy. Mothers.

"Listen Rose, I was talking to Victoire last night and she apparently caught Albus and Malfoy out after curfew last night." He told her.

"Why, what happened?" she asked, knitting her brows in confusion.

"I'm not entirely sure, but she thinks they might have been fighting. It's not exactly like their dads are best friends. Malfoy's probably stirring up trouble. His lot's always hated the Weasley. Pureblood mentality." His jaw tightened for a moment, "I just wanted to give you a heads up. Since Al's in Slytherin, I don't get to see him much. Could you keep an eye out?"

"Yeah of course." the younger girl said.

"One more thing, she doesn't want to make it a big deal. Merlin knows what James or Fred would do if they found out." Making sure she understood, Louis patted her back and wished her a good night before walking over to a fellow Gryffindor up ahead. Rose frowned to herself as she continued out of the tower and into the main branch of the castle, shrugging her bag back in place. Scorpius Malfoy hadn't seemed like a bad bloke. She had thought Albus was getting along, maybe they got into an argument later on. She hadn't had class with the Slytherins today.

Still, it would be dangerous to let either James or Fred get a sniff of what was going on. Terrible enough on their own, the two could wreak havoc when put together. They lived up to their namesakes well. Entering their third year, they had both already served their first detentions since the term started. She shuddered at the thought, neither had a love for the serpents, and even less for the Malfoy family.

When she got down to the great hall, a few students sat at the assorted tables but it was early yet. She sat down and began eating quickly. Neither her friends nor her family were there yet so she did not have any distractions. The potions assignment still in mind, she hoped to finish quickly in order to reach the library. The magnificent chamber was filled to bursting with old tomes. She had only visited once before, and she wanted ample time to browse the shelves before it got busy. Fifteen minutes later, she folded her napkin and crossed the utensils, watching as her plate disappeared. It was wonderful magic but she felt a pang in her heart when she remembered that the Hogwarts kitchens were run by house-elves. Rising, she scurried off the bench and waved at familiar faces as they were trickling in.

Looking up, the enchanted ceiling showed the sun setting, the sky emblazoned by warm reds and drifting shades of pink and violet, flanked by ribbons of orange as bright as her own hair. Making her way through the labyrinth of passageways, Rose found herself in the library and immediately lost herself among the shelves. Lanterns cast a warm glow on the spines of various books, some more recent than others. There were desks in various areas, but she brought herself towards the back, on the opposite side of the gated restricted section. Potions could be a dull subject if it wasn't taken seriously, but she knew if done incorrectly, there were serious dangers. A mistaken ingredient could change the brew from a sleep draught to one that turned you green. Missteps in procedure could cause explosions, or toxic fumes.

She decided her best shot would be to look in Magical Maladies and Artefact Accidents for examples to support her paper. Remembering a book by the renowned healer Urquhart Rackharrow, she began browsing for his name. The library was cataloged by subsection, then author, but the subjects weren't always clearly divided. At half past seven, she had collected an armful of books, but had not yet spotted her query. Curfew for older students was at nine PM, but first years were expected to be back in their common rooms by eight sharp.

She was running out of time. Reaching the last aisle, she saw another student facing away from her. Her eyes fixed on the authors names, she didn't notice who it was. A chance look on a higher shelf caught her attention. Her mouth turned up as she moved closer, only to see another hand reach it first. Scowling, she watched Scorpius Malfoy pull out Racharrow's book. At eleven years old, she found that she was taller than her classmate by a quarter-span. Though they had a few classes together, she had not talked to the boy at all.

"I was going for that one," she told him crossly, hugging her books in her arms. His gray eyes looked confused.

"I need it for my potions paper," she tried again, shifting one hand to her hip. The universal sign of female frustration.

"So do I," he replied simply, trying to sidestep her. Though still sporting his robes, he had loosened his emerald tie and untucked his shirt. She noted it vaguely, not fitting in with her first impression. His family was known for dressing immaculately, it was something even her father grudgingly admitted.

"Why can't you use another one, there are a million others!" she huffed, trying to get him to stay.

He looked at the bundle in her arms meaningfully, "I could say the same for you, besides it looks like you have other reading already."

Frustrated by her long search, and antsy about being out after hours she snapped at him. " Have it your way then Malfoy." She sputtered, pushing past him.

She only took a few steps, however, before she turned back, "Oh and stay away from Al. I know you two were fighting last night. My cousin caught you. Stay away from him." She was very protective of Albus, born only a couple months apart, they were close. He looked at her closely, anger darkening his irises like a storm.

"You don't know what you're talking about Weasley." his hands were curled into fists as he moved abruptly, trying to leave the redhead behind.

Feeling slighted, she called after him. "Figured you'd just run away. You're exactly what everyone told me you'd be. No one cares how powerful your family is, you're still a git!"

"At least I'm not a pumpkinheaded know-it-all."

She flushed, " If you think you're better than me, you're not. Weasleys are just as good as your family."

"You are completely mental, I never said anything about your family. Though if they're all as nosy as you then good luck."

"I am not! Honestly, it's like a troll taught you manners."

"Don't pretend you _know_ me." His eyes were tight slits. "I'm leaving, you and your ugly pigtails can do whatever you want!" With that he turned on his heel and exited the aisle, probably checking out the book she needed. Rose Weasley stood quietly for a moment, breathing tightly through her nostrils. Red tinged her cheeks out of embarrassment as other students looked at her curiously as she sped out of the library herself.

* * *

After wasting time in the library the night before, Rose had difficulty finishing her work and found herself sleeping in longer than she would have liked. Attempting to pull her hair back, she thought back to Scorpius' insult and quickly tore off the two hair ties. Racing to grab breakfast, she saw most student were either finishing or leaving. There was still nearly an hour left before first bell at nine AM, but she knew she should hurry. She sat next to Mallory who greeted her happily. A plate of scrambled eggs and rye bread appeared in front of her, accompanied by a tall glass of orange juice. She began digging in, occasionally adding to her friends' conversation when she heard her name being called behind her.

"Hey Rose."

Turning, she met the eyes of her cousin, curiously similar in color to the emerald of his robes.

"Hi Albus, what're you up to?" She asked. She and the other Gryffindors had flying lessons with the Slytherins for first period so she would have seen him soon anyway.

"I need to talk to you, can you meet me outside early?" He scratched his ear distractedly, watching as his housemates were leaving their own table. She met Scorpius' eyes and they glared at each other for a moment. Rose frowned internally, she had just started eating too. She would have to rush in order to meet her cousin before others started arriving.

"Sure, I'll see you in the quad in fifteen minutes." she promised. His lips stretched as he waved her goodbye. First years weren't allowed to have brooms but she'd learnt the basics at an early age. That's what happened when you grew up in a family of Quidditch enthusiasts, or at least half her family. Hermione Granger-Weasley was not graced with flight. Gulping down her juice, she finished off her breakfast and told the girls she'd see them on the quad.

It was a warm September morning, and she had dressed lightly, ditching the normal sweater ensemble while still remaining within dress code. Walking to the training ground by the herbology greenhouses, she saw Albus loitering around by the pillars at the far end of the field. Reaching him, her cousin got up nervously. His eyebrows were pulling together in mild agitation.

"What's wrong?" she asked him immediately.

"Scorpius came in last night swearing his pants off. You two got into an argument?"

Rose's temper instantly flared. "Why, is he bothering you again? The nerve of some people. Stupid Malfoy!"

Half amused by her protectiveness, and half frustrated, he grabbed her arm to stop her pacing. "He's not bothering me Rose, he's my friend. He said you tore the mickey out of him."

"Friend?" She was taller than her cousin as well, but his spiky black hair made it seem like they were of height. She had a confused expression on her thin face, freckles dotting her nose.

"Yeah, I told you he wasn't a bad sort."

"But...Louis said that Victoire said that she saw you two fighting. You were out of bed, she thought you two might be trying to duel or something equally idiotic."

It was Albus' turn to look surprised. "This is why going to school with all of you is so hard, you all get way too wound up. We were out exploring. Remember the stories our dads used to tell us about the Mirror of Erised? We were trying to find it, I think it was in the room of requirement."

"But Victoire said she found you in Ravenclaw tower."

"So?"

"The room of requirement is in the main castle, in the seventh floor corridor."

"Wait, the seventh floor?" He asked, his eye going wide. Upon seeing her nod, Albus groaned. "She led us right to it, we were so close!" He exclaimed, remembering where the kitchen passage started out.

"You've lost me" she told him, crossing her arms, trying to follow his trail of thought. He waved her off.

"It doesn't matter. Maybe I should've waited to ask you to come along. We would probably have found it."

"Now he tells me." she grimaced, rolling her eyes. She was feeling a little embarrassed. "Why would Louis lie, she caught you didn't she?"

"Yeah, left us with a warning. Did you know there's a passageway up on the seventh floor that leads to the kitchens?" When she shook her heads he continued, getting back on track. "I dunno why, what did Victoire say?"

"Apparently she saw you with Malfoy and you both looked pretty suspicious."

He didn't have a response for that. Of course it was suspicious, they were breaking curfew. "Besides being out late, what was so suspicious?"

She shrugged, "You were with Malfoy. It's not exactly like his dad loves us." She remembered how her father had reacted to seeing Malfoy senior on Platform nine and three quarters less than two weeks ago.

_Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood. _He had warned her. Guiltily, she also remembered her mother reprimanding him for trying to turn them against each other before they even got to school.

"He's a cool guy, give him a chance. Being the only one of us in Slytherin is hard enough, I don't need you lot scaring away my friends."

She looked down at her shoes, digging a hole in the grass with her toe. "So you weren't fighting?"

He shook his head vigorously.

"And I called him a git in front of everyone for nothing?"

"Rosie!"

* * *

**Don't forget to leave me feedback! I'll post the next chapter if I can get my review total to 10.**

**~Satyrykal  
**


	5. Chapter 4: Chudley Cannons

**I know I know, my dear readers. I am a failure. I'm terrible at updating. I owed you a chapter months ago. Still I am sincerely grateful that you have stuck with me thus far. Without further ado, the latest chapter of "The Problem with Fire". Please leave me feedback at the end, I love hearing from all of you!**

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing Potter related. The story is mine though.**_

* * *

Looking down at her hand, Rose smiled confidently. The broomstick fit snugly in her fingers. She took a look around as the instructor flitted about while barking orders. Only a handful of students had managed to call their brooms, others were frantically trying to get them to stay still enough to grab them. Then there was the smattering of students who looked at the ground forlornly as their commands were entirely ignored.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw both Scorpius and Albus high-fiving smugly. Out of her own friends, Eliza was having the most success regardless of her status of muggle born. She knew there was some decent talent in the other houses too but she'd have to scope out the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs next time. Besides, first years still weren't allowed on the house teams, her Uncle Harry was exceptional in that regard as well.

Still, Rose was confident she would get on the quidditch pitch soon enough, it was in her blood. Or at least half of it. Besides, the Weasley clan had dominated the games ever since Dominique started years back. Looking over to her cousin once more, she saw him laughing alongside the Malfoy boy. It irked her to know she was wrong about him. Though she liked to pride herself on her kindness, she knew her temper often got the bet of her.

For the next hour or so, those of them that could made quick rounds in the air. One of the boys in her house tried to show off with a tailspin but was abruptly reprimanded. She decided not to indulge in any tricks herself.

As they were walking back to the castle, Eliza was gushing about her first time flying.

"Did you see me? I went straight up, and I didn't fall once! It was so exhilarating, when do we get to fly again?" She asked brightly.

"I hope not too soon. Blimey that was hard, not to mention uncomfortable. I can't believe the boys do this voluntarily." Mallory complained. They all laughed at that.

* * *

Though he was well under the shade of the tree, sunlight still trickled through the leaves, forcing him to squint his eyes. Wanting to enjoy the last of the warm weather before the Scottish fall kicked in, Albus had decided to study by the lake. At least, that's what he had said to Scorpius to rope the the boy into coming down with him. In the two hours they had been by the lake, they had barely gotten through a third of their assigned reading for History of Magic.

"But if we do the freezing charm right then we'll be able to slip past no problem!"

Albus rolled his eyes. They'd been debating whether or not to sneak to the Shrieking Shack via the Whomping Willow. Not wanting to risk the whipping they'd received Albus was more inclined on perfecting their charm work before they attempted it.

"Not on my bloody time, it would mash us to a pulp."

"It doesn't look that hard mate, I think you're just scared."

"Let me repeat the part where I said it would mash us to a pulp..."

"So you are scared!" the blond yelled triumphantly. Albus sat up and glared at him. Before he could spout off a good comeback, he heard footsteps approach.

The boys looked over in unison as a red head made her way towards them, her trainers padding through the grass. Like them, Rose was dressed in muggle wear. The weekends were one of the few times they could change from their normal school uniform.

As his cousin came into hearing distance, he greeted her with a bit of apprehension. She and Scorpius hadn't seen each other since his last conversation with her.

To his surprise, she waved and came to sit next to them, criss-crossing her legs.

"Hey guys, what're you up to?"

"Nothing, just talking." He answered. Beside him, Scorpius was eying her suspiciously. What a bother.

"Ah alright, I was just looking for you Albus. We missed you for breakfast."

"Oh yeah. I totally forgot about that!" He groaned. His friend looked at confused.

"This morning all my cousins were going to eat together. They sneak food from the kitchens and apparently meet out in the shack." he mumbled.

"What! Were we not literally trying to come up with a way to get in there Al? You're telling me you could just waltz in with your family for muffins and crumpets?"

"Actually, there weren't any crumpets." Rose quipped. For a second, they both just stared at the girl. Her face heated up with the attention, making her freckles pop. Then all of a sudden they both started laughing.

"Cr...crumpets..." Albus choked out. Beside him, the other Slytherin was cracking up, breathing in quick short breathes as he fought his laughter. Rose sighed, she didn't understand the joke.

"Whatever, boys are so stupid."

"Sorry Rosie, don't take it so personally." Her cousin soothed.

"Yeah, it was just funny." Scorpius added, getting a hold of himself.

She shrugged it off and looked over to their discarded books. "Are you studying for the first exam?"

"Kind of, that's why we're here anyway. We just got a bit side tracked." Malfoy replied.

"Well, if you guys need any help, feel free to ask. I got started on the readings early."

"You always start the readings early..." Potter teased, but she wasn't fazed.

"All the more reason I can help." She flipped her hair over her shoulder, the fizzy strands wreaking havoc across her face. "Actually Scorpius, how is that book treating you?" She asked timidly, it was as close to an apology as she could muster for her actions in the library.

"It's good, a lot of the notes I needed were in it." He replied with a smile. Hey, if she could play nice so could he. That and Albus had practically begged him to be nice to the ginger after their spat.

"Do you think I could borrow it when you're done with it then?"

"Yeah, I'll let you know when I'm set."

There was a moment of minor awkward silence before they began chatting on dull topics: the weather, classwork, and being away from home. Rose was thrilled but she missed her parents and her little brother. Hugo Weasley was two years younger, but far beyond his years. On the other hand, Albus was glad to escape Lily's clutches. Though he adored her, she was a handful.

When she asked Scorpius he seemed ready enough to praise Hogwarts. As an only child, it grew lonesome in Malfoy manor when his parents were busy. From the sound of it, his family was far more proper than the jungle of her own relatives, but they didn't seem quite as uptight as she had been led to believe.

"I know we're not allowed to have brooms yet, but my father has one waiting for me when I get home. He taught me how to fly years ago." He explained, pushing his hair out of his eyes. Though she had first seen him with his hair slicked back, she had come to realize that his tresses were almost as bad as Albus', and her cousin's hair never sat straight.

"That would explain why you were breezing through lessons last week," Rose sat leaning against the tree, lazily curling the ends of her locks around her fingers.

"Yeah, you weren't half bad yourself. Most of the girls wouldn't push for speed."

"You should see her when we're at home. You can't really survive a trip to my Gran's without being roped into a match." Albus added, glad to see his friends getting along.

"You play?" He asked curiously, Rose Weasley seemed far more bookish to him than the other members of her family.

"Of course I do, I'm going to try out as keeper the first chance I get." She shot at him.

"Go ahead, we're trying out too and Slytherin will have you kitties running with your tails tucked between your legs." Scorpius countered with a smile. It was obvious that he was pulling her leg. Well, he did believe it, but he wasn't going to rub it in. She ignored the jibe and laughed alone with them.

"So you follow quidditch then? Who's your team?" She prodded.

"Holyhead Harpies all the way!" The black head boy intrupted with a loud whoop. The pair beside him rolled their eyes.

"You just like them because your mum played for them." Scorpius snickered. When his friend glared at him, he amended, "They're a good team Al, don't go off on me."

"The Harpies are pretty popular, you aren't a fan?" Rose asked.

"Nah, they're alright. I'm a fan of of Puddlemere United." He stated proudly.

Rose scoffed at him. "You and half of the UK. You're just on the bandwagon like everyone else."

"Please, I respect the players. Who do you root for, Ms. High and Mighty? The Tornadoes? Magpies? Wasps?"

She grinned, "Chudley Cannons Through and through. There isn't another team out there like them."

Scorpius looked at her with wide eyed astonishment. 'You're kidding right? They're the worst in the league. The last time they won was in the 1800's."

"So? They have skill and finesse. The referees just don't call out the fouls." She frowned. Albus cleared his throat. This was not a safe topic of discussion.

"That's a load of thestral dung. They changed their official motto to '_Let's all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best_ '. That wasn't because of their awesome talent." The blond teased. The Cannons were legendary for their epic fails.

"That was done ironically!" Rose's shrill voice rang out. Scorpius, now used to her antics, thought it was the beginning of another debate. Albus gulped, and tried to tap his cousin on the shoulder.

"Really? It had nothing to do with the fact that their chasers scored forty points on their own posts last season?" He continued, not noticing Rose's calm rapidly deteriorate. Her face was now a shade away from the color of her crimson hair.

"The Cannons aren't that bad. Would you look at the time -" Albus tried interrupting but the lone female of the group and climbed up onto her feet.

"_Colovaria!" _She shouted, pointing her wand at the poor boy. Instantaneously, his clothes and hair turned a vivid orange, much like the robes of the Cannons jerseys. Glaring down at Scorpius, she sniffed before stomping away.

Albus palmed his face and looked at the Slytherin anxiously as his cousin disappeared towards the castle. A similar occurrence had happened two Christmases ago when his Uncle Ron had turned his own sister bright orange when she had insulted his team. Needless to say, neither sibling received pie that year.

* * *

It had taken a few days to get the color off his hair, but he was finally orange free. Professor Longbottom had undone the spell for him in class Monday. Surprisingly, Scorpius didn't find himself upset about the whole fiasco. He and Albuse had joked about him becoming an honorary Weasley ginger. If anything. the hex was a source of amusement. When Rose had left, he had sat laughing himself to tears as Albus looked on with his eyebrows scrunched together. Besides, Scorpius had learned he enjoyed pushing the fiery Gryffindor's buttons. He hadn't even ratted her out to the professors when asked, though from his face, Professor Longbottom could easily surmise the culprit.

After cooling off, Rose realized she felt a tad guilty. He had deserved it, after all the little bugger had tried to demean the greatest team to ever grace England's skies. Still, she could have handled it a bit better. Especially since the whole year was whispering about it, making her blush more than usual. It hadn't won her any points with the pure blood enthusiasts either.

Wednesday found Scorpius wandering the school looking for a certain red haired girl after dinner. Passing by the Gryffindor common room he stopped a fellow first year who directed him to the library. He rolled his eyes after thanking what's-her-face and heading over. It would figure the bookworm was already well into her studies. Mind you, Scorpius was a diligent student himself, but if he paid attention in class, he would often retain most of the information later on, saving him hours during exams.

The library was admittedly one of his favorite wings of the castle. Hundreds of shelves lined the walls, creating a maze of books and parchments. There was so much history hiding in those dusty pages; there were so many discoveries lying in wait. Malfoy Manor had a considerable collection itself, but the Hogwarts archives were second only to the Ministry's official records.

He found her in a far corner, past the isles most students commonly haunted. She had found a small reading desk tucked between the Ancient Runes section and 11th century spell work. There was a wide stained glass window overlooking the training grounds on one side, and could only be accessed by a catwalk past legal studies. He would never have found her himself if the Fat Friar hadn't floated by and helped him.

Patting his carrier bag at his side, he sidled up to her chair as silently as he could muster. Her hair was sprawled across the pages of her book as she scribbled notes furiously onto her paper. She didn't look up. Clearing his throat loudly, he watched with amusement as Rose jumped inches off her seat before turning around to glare at him. Unfazed he smiled in greeting as only an eleven year old could. Before she could speak he pulled out a book and offered it to her.

"Here, it's the Rackharrow book you were asking about I finished I early if you wanted to take a look."

She took it cautiously, as if afraid it was a trick. When she could see none she looked up and met his eyes. "Thanks Scorpius," she forced out, feeling confused. Last time they had met, she had hexed him. Shouldn't he be angry.

"No worries, besides I wanted to tell you that was a killer coloring charm" He grinned lopsidedly. He gave a minor salute before turning around and walking off.

"Oh, and that's Malfoy to you." He winked at her before leaving her along with her thoughts and her books. She cracked a smile. Perhaps he wasn't as bad as she thought after all.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I thought these were necessary to understand how Albus , Rose and Scorpius all became friends. I think it adds an extra layer to the story. The next chapter will be a jump into the future as our gang enters their third year at Hogwarts. That said I do hope you will leave me a review!**

**Special thanks to: **_pennyg_**,** _Prism_**,**_ A Beautiful_ _Insanity_**,**_ F.A.L.T.U_**, and most especially **_JuliaE.k5_** who went out of her way to write an individual review for each chapter. I would also like to thank all guest readers, and those of you who either favorited my story or decided to follow it. I love you all, and I shall update soon. Next goal is 15 reviews total (In math terms that's 3 reviews before the next chapter =)!**

**Cheers,**

**Satyrykal**


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